Select Local Merchants

The Factory Studio is the end result of the high-flung aspirations shared by two eccentric salon veterans. Every day, stylist and musician Alfonso Afanador teams up with makeup artist and singer Nina Lares Fetter to lead a team of industry experts in the quest for aesthetic excellence. Team members combine their skill sets to perform hair services, makeup services, facials and peels, and waxing sessions. They also supercharge the salon by hosting occasional art exhibitions and allowing the resident DJ to soundtrack haircutting sessions with songs that encourage toe tapping, rather than head bobbing.

Working out of Lets Go Hair Salon, O' Mai Lash owner and Lôngmi Lash-certified artist Vicky Tran-Le deftly outfits eyes with extensions that vary by shade and volume. Her lash options range from the everyday set, which adds some extra oomph to natural lashes that are already long and luscious, to the extreme set, which lends a thick, sultry look akin to wearing three coats of mascara or two well-trained tarantulas. Vicky also performs touchups and free lash removal for lashes applied at her facility and provides helpful aftercare instructions to help lashes stay put as long as possible.

Vinita Vineet, owner of Vinita's Beauty & Threading Studio, hails from India, bringing Eastern depilation techniques to the West Coast. She and her staff of trained threading experts whisk hair from men's and women's faces, creating perfectly shaped brows, silky upper lips, and cheeks that are smoother than a newly polished bowling lane. For body parts south of the face, they rely on waxing treatments to remove unwanted hair. Artistically applied henna tattoos adorn arms, legs, and décolletage; henna is also used to tint hair.

The folks at Elude Medical & Skin Spa understand that it's hard to give proper due to your skin, what with the daily hassles of work and family. So the goal of William C. Swanson, MD and his staff is to pay proper attention and care to clients' skin in a comforting and slow-paced atmosphere. Dr. Swanson has 40 years of experience in the medical field, and has surrounded himself with a team of physician's assistants, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses. Together they offer many options for caring for aging and damaged skin. These include Botox and Juvederm to stymie wrinkles, chemical peels, and laser hair removal. They also offer help with skincare regimens such as SkinMedica, Revision, and Eminence Organics.

With quick hands and a strong artistic connection to his work, Cesare crafts European-inspired coiffures using salon-quality products imported from Italy, Germany, and Austria. In conjunction with a deft cut, the single-process color chromifies roots to match them with the rest of the mop, giving a new context to the face's smiles, winks, and cries of "Bingo!" Those who opt for the deep conditioning have their follicles moisturized and cuticles fortified to withstand the elements. The comfortable, upscale boutique salon sits in the heart of Pasadena's historic Old Town district. Streams of natural light flood through its windows, illuminating the studio's balance of historical architecture and modern accents.